Shadow in the Dark
by amberness
Summary: SK fic. Kate sees someone run into the jungle during a storm and follows them. Sawyer runs after her. Danger and romance follows as they try to survive the night. Bad summary, I'm not good at them. Please read and review! COMPLETED
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Any and all Lost characters do not belong to me, although I'll swear to anyone that I have Sawyer locked up in my closet. Ahem

Rating: PG-13 for suggestive reading, language, and well, a shooting scene blinks

Pairings: Kate/Sawyer

Note: This is my first Lost fanfic although I have others that don't relate to Lost floating around out there on the net.

Warnings: If you haven't watched episodes eight (Confidence Man) and nine (Solitary) then prepare to be seriously lost and confused.

**

* * *

Chapter One**

_A little boy around 8-years-old was walking down the street. His red Converses crunched the dead leaves on the sidewalk as he shifted his book bag to his other shoulder. He rounded the corner and started making his way to a big, white, two-story house. He sniffled and put a finger to his nose. He looked down at his finger and saw a red smear on it._

_Still bleeding, he thought. Mama won't be happy._

_But it hadn't been his fault, the fight. He was just walking around the playground like he always did. Then that big kid Johnny Pilkington had to come and start pushing him, demanding him for his lunch money. He was tired of giving Johnny his money, so he did the only sensible thing he could think of. He hit Johnny and Johnny hit him back. Much more harder than he had, the boy noted. They had both been sent to the office and the principal called both of their homes. The boy's parents weren't home. He expected his father not to be there. He knew his dad was at work, but where was mama? She was normally home all day. He lied to his principal, telling her that he was going to walk to his father's workplace._

_The boy didn't notice the red sport car that was parked by his house. He walked on the front lawn and went up the steps to the house. He opened the door and didn't see anyone inside._

'_Hello?' he called out, looking around for his mom. 'Mama?'_

_No one answered, so he made his way up the stairs to his room. He was halfway up them when he heard a woman's voice laughing and it was followed by a rough man's voice. He knew the woman's voice; it was his mama's. He walked up the rest of the stairs and stood still. He could still hear the voices and they were coming from his parents' bedroom._

'_Mama?' he called out again, but the creak of bedsprings now filled the house._

_He knew his father wasn't home yet, he didn't get in until 5:00 and it had been 1:00 when he had left school. Part of him wanted to run back down the stairs and out of the house. He didn't want to find out who that was in there with his mama. The other part of him, however, was egging him to go on in the room. He shook his head and walked up to the door. It was halfway closed, but he didn't look in. He focused on the door handle instead. He put a shaking hand on the door handle and pushed it hard. The door swung open and bounced back on the wall with a thud. The man that was on top of his mama whirled around and looked at him. The boy looked up and locked eyes with the man. The man looked away and started cursing. The boy heard his mama's voice, but he didn't look at her. He didn't even hear what she was saying; he just looked blankly down at his feet. The man jumped up and started putting his clothes on. The boy stood there in the doorway with a mixed expression of pain and disbelief. His book bag fell from his shoulder without him noticing._

_He knew this man, he realized with amounting horror. His name was Mr. Sawyer and his mama had told him he was a businessman. He had come to their house several times before to talk to the boy's daddy about his money. Mr. Sawyer and his daddy were supposedly good friends, or at least that's what the boy had thought._

_I don't think him and daddy are friends anymore . . . a voice inside the boy's head commented._

_The man had gotten his clothes on and was now approaching him. The boy didn't move, so the man shoved him out of the way as he ran down the hallway and down the stairs. The boy now looked at his mama. She had the covers up to her neck and she was looking at him. He saw she was crying now. He looked at her for a minute. She called out his name and made as if to get up, but the boy had already turned around and ran out of the room. He ran down the stairs, almost tripping, his vision so blurred from the tears that now ran down his cheeks. He ran out of the house and to the big red oak tree in their front yard. Mr. Sawyer had already left in his red sport car. The little boy sat down with his back to the tree. He pulled his knees close to his chest and softly cried, forgetting all about his bloody nose and all about that stupid fight with Johnny Pilkington. He stayed like that until his father came an hour later, having gotten bad news at work. His father demanded what had gone on and why he was crying, but the boy remained silent. _

_Let mama tell you the bad thing she did, not me. I didn't do anything. It's all Mr. Sawyer's fault, he thought to himself as his father stormed up the steps and into the house._

_The boy heard shouting a few minutes later. He looked towards the house and sniffled. He wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand and got up. He turned away from the house, thinking about walking to his friend Tommy's house, when he heard his mama yell out 'NO JAMES DON'T!!!'_

_He turned back around and ran to the house. He opened the door and saw his parents in the living room. His father had thrown his briefcase down on the floor and was holding a gun. The boy froze in terror as he saw his father pointing the gun at his mother. _

'_YOU WERE HAVING SEX WITH HIM?! NO WONDER YOU TOLD ME TO LET HIM HANDLE OUR MONEY! WELL, GUESS WHAT KAREN? IT'S ALL GONE! MY MONEY! MY JOB! EVERYTHING! HE CLEANED IT ALL OUT AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!'_

'_James, honey, please. Let me just explain. James-' his mother cried, walking up to James._

'_DON'T YOU COME ANY CLOSER YOU CHEATIN' BITCH!!!' James screamed, spit flying from his mouth as he cocked the gun._

_Karen stopped and stared at him as if he had just slapped her._

'_James, listen, you can't. We'll work this out. Please James, give me another chance. I-I didn't . . . didn't know-'_

'_THE HELL YOU DIDN'T!' James shouted._

'_Please. Just put the gun down. We'll make it-'_

'_YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND KAREN! ALL MY MONEY! WE HAVE NOTHING NOW! THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE EVERYTHING!!!' James shouted._

'_We-We'll make it. C'mon honey. H-here, g-give me the gun,' Karen said, tears welling up in her eyes._

'_NO! WE CAN'T FIX THIS!' James shouted, the gun shaking in his hand._

'_Yes we will. We'll make it-'_

_BANG_

_The boy flinched as he heard the gunshot. He saw his mother jerk back from the impact, her face now a bloody mess. He saw her fall to the floor, her head narrowly missing the couch. His father slowly lowered the gun and then turned around. He instantly saw the boy._

'_And you . . . you saw it all . . . didn't you?' James asked, seemingly out of breath._

'_Daddy . . . I . . . I,' the little boy began, trembling from head to foot. He looked at his mama's body, to the gun in his daddy's hand, then back to his daddy himself. 'Daddy . . . I didn't . . . didn't mean to-'_

'_Money . . . my money's all gone . . . just like that . . . everything . . . He . . . cleaned me out . . . I'll make it better though . . . it'll be . . . . be better . . .' James said, looking away from his son and towards the gun in his hand._

'_Daddy, daddy, no!' the little boy cried._

_He took a step forward, about to wrestle the gun from his dad if he had to, but he was too late. James looked at him again, smiling bleakly through his tears. He then held the gun up to his temple and pulled the trigger._

_The little boy stopped in mid-step, watching his father as he hit the floor with a dull thud, only feet away from his mama. Eyes wide, tears slowly swelling up in them, his breath coming in short gasps, the boy looked on at his two parents, now dead. He was an orphan now, he knew it. And it was all because of him. All because of Mr. Sawyer. He'd show him one day, the boy vowed as he sunk to his knees, sob racking his small body. He would find Sawyer and tell him exactly what he had done to him. One day . . ._

'N . . . NO!' the now grown boy, having adopted the name of the man he hated, cried out into the night.

He shot up like a lightning bolt and almost fell off his makeshift bed. He stared around, still thinking he was back in Tennessee. Then he saw the tropical trees swaying in the breeze, the dark outline of a piece of a plane further down on the beach, and it all came back to him. He was still on this godforsaken island. It had all been a nightmare, or a memory rather. He looked around to see if anyone had woken from his pitiful cries. He sighed and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. He hated this island, this stupid polar bear, monster infested island. He had thought about his childhood once or twice after leaving Jess and David's house, but now on the island he had nothing else to think about. He moved around and tried to get comfortable again. He kept moving for about five minutes.

'Dammit, stupid island,' he muttered as he got up.

He walked out onto the beach, trying not to trip over anyone or anything in the feeble moonlight. He kept walking until he stood close enough to the ocean that the waves crashed against his shoes. He fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette and pulled out a bent one. He fished around for a lighter in his other pocket and then lit the cigarette. He took a slow drag and felt the smoke fill his lungs. He knew he should only light one up in dire emergencies these days. He was getting low on his stash and he didn't want to think what he would be like without any smokes. But this night, this night he said to hell with rationing. He needed something to calm his nerves. He took another drag and looked out into the water. He felt a strong wind whip at his body and he sighed again. He was staring up at the stars, listening to the waves crash together, when he thought he heard something behind him. He turned around and saw the dark outline of someone.

'Can I help ya, fella?' he asked, none too politely.

'Oh, I was just admiring the view,' a male voice said.

Sawyer squinted his eyes and saw it was one of the guys he had seen at the 'Island Open' earlier, but he had never talked to him.

'Ah, well. Piss off and admire it somewhere else, buddy,' Sawyer said as he turned back to the ocean.

The guy seemed taken aback.

'All right then. Just, just be careful out here tonight,' the guy said.

'And just what the hell is that suppose to mean?' Sawyer asked, turning around to look at the guy, but he had disappeared.

Sawyer spun around in a complete circle, looking for the guy. He was nowhere to be found.

_Damn weirdo . . ._ Sawyer thought to himself.

He shook his head and flicked his cigarette into the ocean. He put his hands in his pockets and started walking back to the ten the doc had made, ignoring the thunder that rumbled across the water.


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Note: Thank you for the two reviews I received! Here's another chapter.

**Chapter Two**

Kate had been dozing peacefully until a particularly loud clap of thunder woke her from her slumber. She had just gotten back to the beach a couple of hours ago, after watching another golfing match in which Jack won, again. When she told him she was leaving, he had argued with her, telling her to stay for the night. She couldn't be persuaded however. With Sayid gone, she was the only one in charge of the beach, and she couldn't imagine Sawyer taking her place. She shifted around as a great gust of wind blew through her clothes. She shivered and got up, looking for the blue sweater she had found the other day. While she was looking, she happened to see someone in the moonlight walking on the beach. They were headed right for the forest.

'Hey!' Kate called out, forgetting about the sweater.

Some of the people sleeping around her woke and started complaining about her shouting. Kate said a quick "Sorry" several times and then started walking in the direction of the person. The person seemed to not hear her, or they ignored her. Whatever the case, they kept walking and soon entered the jungle.

'Hey! Don't go in there!' Kate called louder, starting to run after him.

She passed by Sawyer's sleeping place, still shouting.

'You tryin' to wake the dead, freckles?' he called out in the dark.

She stopped short.

'There was someone walking on the beach. They went into the jungle, alone,' Kate said.

'Yeah? Well, that's one less mouth to worry about,' Sawyer grumbled.

'I'm not letting them wander the forest alone and let that thing get them,' Kate said as she started walking off.

'Freckles!' Sawyer called, but she didn't answer.

'Damn women,' Sawyer muttered as he moved around, remembering not to lay on his bandaged arm.

From where he lay, he could see the beach as the tarp flapped open in the wind. He lay there listening as Kate made her way into the jungle.

He wasn't going to worry about her. If she got herself eaten by a damn bear or whatever it was out there, then that was her problem. He saw a fork of lightning streak through the sky, lighting it and the beach up to look like day. Soon after he heard a clap of thunder, much louder than the one Kate had heard. Looking at the beach reminded him of what the guy had told him earlier. If Kate got struck by lightning or something, he wouldn't be able to sleep the rest of the night. He sighed and muttered a string of curses.

'Goddam woman, the whole mess of 'em,' he groaned as he got up and ran after Kate.

* * *

'Hey! Come back!' Kate shouted as she pushed her way through the trees and bushes. 

She couldn't see what she thought was a guy anymore, but she was sure she was right on his trail. She had to catch up with him before he got any deeper in the jungle. The sky was lit up by lightning for a short time, but she couldn't make out anything.

'It's dangerous out here!' she shouted, wincing as a tree limb cut her shoulder.

She kept going until she came upon a clearing. She stopped as she entered it, searching around for the guy she had been following. She thought she could make out a thin outline of someone on the other side, but she wasn't sure as the lightning only lit up her surroundings for a few seconds.

'Listen, you should come back to the beach!' she shouted over the thunder.

Lightning lit up the sky again and she could clearly see a guy in a dirty white button down shirt and brown pants. He looked at her and then took off running in the opposite direction.

'Dammit, what's your problem?' she muttered as she took off after him.

The wind picked up, soon followed by a downpour of rain. Kate was soaked in minutes. She wiped the rain out of her eyes and kept going. Lightning struck somewhere nearby. She heard the cracking of wood as it split in two and then smelled the smoke. This was getting worse with every step. She thought about turning back, her shoes sloshing with water in the mud she was now walking in. Then she realized that she had no clue where she was. She kicked herself mentally as she looked behind her. Besides the smoke wafting up from the struck tree, it looked exactly the same, whether she was looking behind her or not. She knew she didn't have many options. She could stand here like a sitting duck, just waiting for the lightning to strike her. She could try to find shelter and risk drowning in her sleep by the inevitable flood that was to come from all the rain. Or she could keep on going after whoever the hell it was she was chasing.

She almost laughed, despite of her situation. For once she was chasing someone and not the other way around. She thought about the night Ray had caught her leaving. She had been so stupid to soften up to the old guy and actually trust him. It all didn't matter now though, all the things she had done in her past. She was stuck on this island, for God knew how long. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice she was heading straight for a cliff until it was almost too late. Something brought her back into the present just as her foot slipped off the edge. She screamed, knowing she was about to plunge to her death, but a hand grabbed her roughly from behind. She screamed again, not knowing exactly who she thought it would be. Whoever it was grabbed both of her arms and pulled her away from the cliff. She didn't fight back as her legs trembled and threaten to not hold her up.

AN: Dun, dun, dun, and so begins the cliffhangers evil cackle


	3. Chapter Three

Author's Note: Wow, three new readers! lol scrawn, yeah, I'll just insert random person here. Oh an, Shannon Michelle, you would be correct in your guessing. Thanks for the reviews guys! Here's another chapter.

**Chapter Three**

'Easy freckles, you blind or something?' the person asked in a southern drawl.

She pulled her arms from Sawyer's grasp and turned to face him. He was as soaked as she was. She could see he had a stupid grin on his face as lightning streaked through the sky.

'Never had a woman scream like that for me before,' he smirked.

'What are you doing here?' she demanded, ignoring his comment.

'Thought I'd go for a midnight stroll. What the hell do you think?' Sawyer asked.

'You actually came all this way for me?' Kate asked, disbelief in her voice.

'Don't act so surprised, sweetheart. Can't be having Miss America getting barbequed,' Sawyer said as another flash of lightning lit up the sky.

'Whatever, Sawyer, or whatever your name is,' Kate said, pushing her way through the bushes, going back the way she had came.

'Not so fast,' Sawyer said as he grabbed her arm.

'Let go of me,' Kate said.

'Fine, go on then. Get lost, see if I care,' Sawyer said as he let go of her.

'Yeah, like you know where you're at,' Kate said as she started walking again. She wasn't sure whether she was still looking for the guy or she was just trying to get out of here.

'Baby, I know exactly where I'm at,' Sawyer said. 'Unlike you.'

Kate stopped and turned around to look at him.

'Had to move my suitcases again after Pretty Boy went through my stuff. They're just a couple of feet away from where you're standing on your left,' Sawyer said.

'You're lying.'

'Am I?' Sawyer asked. 'Take a look for yourself.'

He walked up to her and then pass her. She followed and stopped when he kneeled down. A few seconds later she heard a zipper being unzipped.

'Just "trying' to make an effort",' Sawyer said as he turned around and shone a flashlight up in her eyes.

She put a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright light.

'Aren't you resourceful?' Kate commented.

'You bet. Even have a jacket,' Sawyer said as he handed her a big brown jacket.

'Whose jacket is this?' Kate asked, taking it slowly.

'Mine, if you really want to know,' Sawyer said as he zipped the suitcase back up.

'No wonder it smells like cigarette smoke,' Kate complained.

'Hey, beggars can't be choosers,' Sawyer said as he stood up, pointing the flashlight down to the ground.

'Are you actually giving me this to wear?' Kate questioned, looking at him.

'Just put the damn jacket on,' Sawyer said.

Kate couldn't hold back a smile as she put the jacket on.. It almost swallowed her as she rolled up the sleeves. It wasn't a rain jacket, but it was better than nothing.

'Are you aware that you're actually being nice?' she asked, looking back up at him.

'Are you aware that we're in the middle of a creature infested jungle during a storm, just chitchattin' away like it was nothin'?' Sawyer replied back.

Kate didn't reply, deciding not to discuss the matter further. If she did, Sawyer would probably get ticked off and go into one of those moody moods again.

'So, are you still hell-bent on going after whoever the hell it is you're going after?' Sawyer asked.

'I don't want to leave him out here in this weather,' Kate said stubbornly.

'Yeah, well, can't save everyone, Kate,' Sawyer said.

'Yeah, like you would know,' Kate snapped without meaning to. Although he might change, he still always seemed to find a way under her skin at the wrong moments. She expected him to come back with something smart, but there was nothing but silence.

Sawyer didn't have a quirky come back for that. He didn't say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her. She knew she had hit a nerve. After a minute he turned around, pointed the flashlight in front of him, and started walking off.

'Sawyer!' Kate shouted.

'No, no, freckles. You go on with your little saving act. Get yourself killed for all I care. I never could save anyone in the first place, why bother now?' Sawyer shouted, walking faster.

'Sawyer wait. I didn't mean-' Kate began, but stopped in mid-sentence when she heard a loud stomping noise to her right.

She snapped her head in the direction of the sound. She looked forward again and could see that Sawyer had stopped.

'What the hell-' Sawyer began as he turned around.

Something growled and then the trees behind Kate collapsed. Her heart was racing. She knew what falling trees meant on this island. Sawyer was starting to walk back her way, but she was already running towards him.

'No, run, Sawyer!' she said as she met up with him.

He was still staring back towards the fallen trees.

'Is that?' he questioned, shining the flashlight towards her face. He could see the fear in her eyes as the ground shook.

'RUN!' Kate shouted, grabbing a handful of his shirt and almost dragged him with her.


	4. Chapter Four

Ah, I have two more new readers! I never thought my story would be so popular! Thanks for all the reviews guys, they mean a lot. I'm glad you've finally came out of hiding, fellowfigment, lol. Also, note that I've finally found a title. And it was all thanks to Sawyersgirl on the Lost-forums. The story's now called Shadow in the Dark. Here's the next chapter! Happy New Years everyone!!

**Chapter Four**

It took perhaps a second for what Kate shouted to run through Sawyer's mind. Then he grabbed Kate's arm and ran. He made them swerve to the right in hopes of confusing whatever was behind them. It didn't seem to work as they heard an eerie shriek from somewhere right behind them. Sawyer changed a look behind him and instantly regretted it. He tripped over a hidden tree stump and fell with a thud on his hurt arm, dragging Kate down on top of him.

'Dammit! Son of a bitch!' Sawyer cursed, trying to get up from the mud hole he fell in.

Kate, stunned from the sudden change in direction, took a minute to react. Then she was back on her feet, trying to help Sawyer up. He almost took her back down as he slid in the mud. She felt the ground shake under her, but she didn't look back. Sawyer finally found some footing and they took off running in the storm again. Kate could hardly see Sawyer in front of her, thanks to the sheets of rain that were now falling. She did notice that Sawyer didn't have his flashlight anymore though. That meant they were really running blind through the jungle now. A branch scraped across Kate's cheek and she bit down a cry.

She couldn't tell whether the thing was still following them or not. She barely heard the thunder over her own racing heart. She knew they would have to stop somewhere soon though, but she put that in the back of her mind. All she thought about was following behind Sawyer and running as far away from that thing as she could. She stepped on the back of Sawyer's shoe and almost fell down. Despite how tough of a bad ass he almost always acted, she could tell Sawyer was slowing down. His smoke-filled lungs and his hurt arm were dragging him down. She tried looking for a cave, a hole, something they could run to and hide from the thing. She couldn't see anything until a flash of lightning came. She looked frantically around and saw what she was looking for. Coming up in front of them was a huge tree that had fallen down. Beyond that she couldn't see anything for some feet. It had to be a drop-off, or at least that's what she hoped. She prayed it wasn't like the cliff she almost went over earlier. They were getting closer to the tree. Sawyer changed direction, about to run around it. She grabbed the back of his shirt and ran straight for it. He fell behind her, not sure what she was doing. She got a firm grip on his shirt and kept running. A few seconds later she tripped on the tree, falling on it hard. She nearly lost her breath as Sawyer tripped over it too. She grabbed his arm and rolled over the tree and immediately slid down what felt like a steep side. Sawyer tried to grab something, but everything was wet and slippery. They kept sliding for several more feet and then landed with a splat as they ended up in shin deep muddy water. They lay there, inches apart, their faces barely above the water. Sawyer was breathing too heavily to speak, as was Kate. They lay there and felt the rain beat down on their faces. Kate tried to catch her breath and raised her head, trying to listen better. She didn't think she heard any movement above or around them, but she wasn't sure. She tried to sit up and cried out as she felt a sharp pain in her left side. She remembered falling on the tree on that side, but she didn't know she had fell that hard. Sawyer raised his head, his left hand searching blindly for Kate in the dark. He touched her knee.

'All . . . right?' he began, but Kate hushed him with a "Shh!"

She hoped the thing wasn't anywhere around because it would have no trouble hearing her. She looked up, ignoring the pain in her side. Beside the storm, all she heard was Sawyer's heavily breathing.

'I think . . . I think it's gone,' Kate said in a low voice after a few minutes of silence.

'Great . . . but I uh . . . my arm . . .' Sawyer drifted off as he groaned.

'What? Why didn't you say something?' Kate asked, still ignoring her side.

She felt his hand on her knee and took it to guide her to where he was. She scooted over and grimaced.

'Well, uh . . . we were kinda busy. Or didn't you notice?' Sawyer asked.

'Smartass. Can you tell if it's bleeding badly?' Kate asked.

'Probably,' Sawyer said, lifting his arm up from the water. 'Sure as hell stings.'

'Let me see,' Kate said, reaching out her hand.

'And how the hell are ya gonna do that, sweetheart?' Sawyer asked.

'With your lighter. You can't tell me you don't have a lighter on you,' Kate said.

'Yeah, yeah, I got one,' Sawyer said, sitting up and reaching into his pocket with his other hand.

He pulled out the lighter and pushed down on it. Nothing happened. He pushed down on it three more times until it finally lit up. He moved it closed to his other arm. His bandage had been torn off. His shirt sleeve, along with the rest of his arm, were covered in blood.

'It's bleeding alright. Did he put stitches in it?' Kate asked.

'Oh, you know Doctor ER. Pulled out all the stops to save little ol' me,' Sawyer said.

'Yeah, even after what you told him,' Kate said, looking at him.

Sawyer was silent and didn't return her gaze, looking at his arm instead.

'I think you yanked out half of the stitches,' Kate said, turning her attention back on his arm.

'Feels like I pulled them all out,' Sawyer muttered.

'You've lost a lot of blood. I've got to wrap it in something. Maybe that'll stop the bleeding until we find someone.'

'In this weather? It would be better if you just left me, freckles,' Sawyer said.

'Shut up or I will,' Kate threaten.

'And how would you pull that off? That didn't sound like a cry of happiness you let out a few minutes ago,' Sawyer said.

'I'm fine,' Kate said.

'Of course you are,' Sawyer said, looking at her and smiling.

'Here, freckles. Grab a hold to my shirt and hold onto it when I pull,' he said, switching his lighter to his other hand.

Kate obeyed him reluctantly and Sawyer tore a strip of the bottom of his shirt off. Kate took the strip before he could do anything else. He put the lighter in his good hand and then moved his hurt arm closer to her. She rolled up her soaked jacket sleeves and started wrapping up his arm. He grimaced every now and then when she made sure it was wrapping tightly. He cried out when she tied it tightly.

'Watch it, sweetheart,' he said.

'You'll live,' she told him.

'Yeah, well, if I don't, why don't you say we kiss and you make me better?' he asked, smiling that sly dimpled smile of his.

Kate rolled her eyes and tried to get up. She cried out again and stumbled backwards. Sawyer jumped up and caught her before she fell.

'What was that you said about being fine?' he asked in her ear.

'Just help me stand and shut up,' Kate said, noticing how close he was to her.

'Whatever you say, Princess,' Sawyer said, smiling.

Kate grabbed Sawyer's good arm and steadied herself.

'Let me see your lighter,' Kate said.

'Yes ma'am,' Sawyer said, handing it over to her.

Jackass, she thought. She held up his lighter, hoping it wouldn't go out. It had stopped raining hard though. The lighter only flickered dangerously, but didn't go out. She looked up and saw nothing but a muddy wall. About seven feet behind her it was the same and off to the sides. The "wall" reached up to about eight feet. She didn't know if this hole was man-made or accidental, but the water had risen while she had mended Sawyer's arm. It was now right at her knees.

'Do you think you could lift me up?' Kate asked.

'S'pose I could. Gotta be careful though. Don't want to hurt that pretty little side of yours,' Sawyer said.

'Will you lift me up or not?' Kate asked.

'Anything for you, sweetheart. How the hell am I gonna get out though?'

'I'll send down a tree limb and help you climb up,' Kate said.

'You must be stronger than you look or you're just gonna leave me here to drown in the mud hole from hell,' Sawyer said.

'Maybe I am then,' Kate said. 'Just give me a boost.'

Sawyer smiled and sloshed his way to her. She gave him his lighter and he put it in his pocket.

'I'm hoping you won't fall on that sweet ass of yours in the dark,' he said as he bent down and cupped his hands.

'Just yell if your arm starts to go out,' Kate said, ignoring the comment and put her foot in his hands and stood up shakily.

She heard him grunt in pain as he lifted her up. She started feeling around for something to grab a hold to. When he had lifted her as high as he could, her head was about two inches over the top. She held onto a branch from the fallen tree and pulled herself up. She winced as the ground scraped the jacket across her side.

When she was over she could hear the storm in full force again. There were no other trees collapsing though, no growling or stomping. The rain had slackened off a few minutes ago, but now it had became bullets once again. She felt around for another tree branch or something that would help her. Her fingers came across something rubber. Her hand stopped as what she touched went through her mind. Something rubber? In the middle of a jungle? She searched around it and found what felt like shoelaces. It then hit her. It was a shoe. She looked up, squinting in the rain. There was a flash of lightning and she saw someone standing above her. It was the same person she had been running after . . .


	5. Chapter Five

Author's Note: Wow, all the reviews . . . I came back from the holidays and got a bag load of them! Thank you all very, very much. I can't tell you how much they made my day today! I got new readers, old readers, and awesome reviews. All of your replies mean a lot to me and I feel that you've even been too good to me. I got to say, fellowfigment, that your review actually almost brought a tear to my eyes. Now, I don't want anyone else to feel left out, because I've come close, on more than one occasion, of shedding tears because of y'alls reviews. You're all too good to me and I'm glad I might have swayed you to read more skater fics, Austin B :) Cheers to everyone! passes out Lost dolls to everyone

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Kate wiped the rain from her eyes.

'It's you . . . I was looking-'

'What do you want?' the guy demanded.

Kate looked up at him stupidly.

'W-What? I was looking for you,' she said.

'Why?' he demanded.

Kate stared at him again.

'You were running in here during a storm!' Kate said, wincing as her side flared up with pain.

'And?'

'And what? I don't want you to get lost with the monster around,' Kate said.

'You shouldn't have followed me. I can look after myself.'

Kate groaned. 'Listen, I don't know what your problem is, but I could really use some help. There's guy in the hole right behind me,' Kate said.

'I told him to be careful. It's your fault he's even down there,' the guy said.

Kate was taken aback. 'Excuse me?'

'Yeah, I saw you two running from the "monster",' the guy said.

'You were watching us?'

The guy didn't answer her.

Sawyer stood in the knee-deep water, waiting for Kate to send down something. He highly doubted that a small fry like herself could pull him out of an eight-foot hole. He thought he heard two people talking but he wasn't sure. The rain was coming down in torrents again and he could barely see or hear anything. He waited for another minute, his clothes sticking to him.

'Hey, freckles! Any time now!' he finally shouted as loud as he could.

A few minutes later a tree limb came down his way. He looked up, trying to see anyone. Lightning flashed, but he couldn't see anyone through the rain. He took hold of the limb and gave it a good tug. It came down an inch or two but didn't fall.

_She's tougher than I thought_, Sawyer thought as he grabbed the limb with both hands, grimacing as the muscles in his right arm tensed painfully. With the limb he tried climbing his way out. His shoes got stuck in the muddy wall more than once and he almost went down several times. Just when his arm began shaking uncontrollably and he thought he was going to let go; his head appeared above the hole. He crawled out and clutched his shaking arm. He went to stand up, but the tree limb came down sharply on his shoulder.

'Ow! Goddam freckles! What the hell was that-' Sawyer began, looking up.

'Stay down where you are or I'll put this stick through her,' the guy said.

A flash of lightning revealed to Sawyer Kate's form on the ground behind the guy.

'What the hell-' Sawyer mumbled.

'She's only knocked out. That'll change soon enough if you don't get back down,' the guy said sternly.

Sawyer looked up at the guy as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. It was the same guy he had talked to on the beach.

'Told you to be careful,' the guy said, pointing the stick in Sawyer's face.

Sawyer kept looking at him, even when the lightning subsided. His shoulder burned like hell as he weighed his chances. He knew if his arm wasn't hurt he could take on the guy any day. His arm threw everything out of whack now though. His cocky, hotheaded side said he could take the guy right now. His sensible side that hardly won any arguments said he might not. If he didn't knock the guy out or worse, then the guy would kill Kate. As much as he scoffed at the idea, Sawyer knew he felt something for her. Something more than just lust. He hadn't felt like this for a girl in a long time. Maybe that's why he was fighting so hard not to admit it. He felt his knees hit the muddy ground before he even realized what he had done. He had sunk back down to the ground.

_Well, what do you know? There's something in here beside the devil_, he thought, a smile almost escaping his lips.

'Let me see your hands,' the guy demanded, brandishing a flashlight.

Sawyer put his hands out in front of the guy.

The guy set the limb down beside him and put the flashlight in his mouth. He then got out a long, thick, green vine from his pocket. He moved closer to Sawyer, about to bind his hands. Sawyer saw the limb on the ground as lightning flashed again. It had landed only a foot or two away from him. He looked back at the guy. He was about to reach his hands. In a split second Sawyer came up with a Plan B. He spit at the guy, hoping to hit him in the eyes. He did and the guy cried out in anger. Sawyer felt around and grabbed a hand full of mud, slinging it at the guy, hitting him in the eyes with that too. The guy dropped the vine and flashlight. Sawyer scrambled around for the limb. By the time the guy had wiped his eyes and had the flashlight again, Sawyer had already swung at him. He hit him in the side, making the guy fall over backwards. Sawyer took in sharp breaths, feeling the pain in his arm intensify. He followed the glow of the flashlight and started swinging again. He thought he hit the guy's leg, but couldn't be sure. The guy rolled around, trying to get behind him. He went to swing again, but the guy hit him in the back of the leg. Sawyer felt his knee buckle and he fell to the ground. The guy wrestled with him, trying to get the limb. Sawyer fought, but was no match when the guy punched him in the arm. Sawyer cried out in pain and let go of the limb. The guy stood up shakily and kicked Sawyer in the side. Sawyer withered in a ball and the guy kicked him again. Sawyer moved a few feet and ended up on his back. His breathing came in ragged gasps as he looked up. The guy now stood right above him with the limb in hand. He had the flashlight in his mouth again and it was pointing down towards Sawyer. Sawyer squinted his eyes against the glare and saw the guy raise the limb. Sawyer tried to get up, but nothing seemed to work anymore. The next thing Sawyer felt was an incredible sharp explosion in his left temple and then all was black . . .


	6. Chapter Six

Author's Note: Thanks everyone for the reviews! I'm glad you think I develope plot lines, Shannon Michelle lol. Here's the new chapter, hopefully full of more well written Skater madness and plot lines XD

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**Chapter Six**

Several dull throbs greeted Sawyer as he reached the surface of consciousness. A groan escaped his lips as his head began to throb. He slowly cracked his eyes open and wished he hadn't. Bright sunshine bared down on him and he quickly closed his eyes as the throbbing in his head grew worse. He waited for the throbbing to simmer down and tried opening his eyes again. He blinked several times, his eyes watering as they became adjusted to the light. He felt a big lump on the left side of his head and something dry that had trickled all the way down his neck. It took him a while to figure out what it was and why he was tasting his own dry blood on his cracked lips. He finally remembered a skinny guy kicking his ass in a storm. He tried moving his arms and cried out as searing hot pain shot up his right arm. His arms were behind his back, tied around the tree he now leaned against. He cursed mentally as he took in deep breaths, even those causing him pain. When the pain in his arm became another dull, throbbing ache, he slowly moved his eyes back and forth, taking in his surroundings. He was still in the jungle, but he couldn't be sure if he was still in the same place. He thought back to the skinny guy and wondered where he was. He then thought about the reason why the guy kicked his ass in the first place. It was because he tried to hit the guy with a limb so the guy wouldn't hurt Kate . . .

Kate! A voice in his head shouted, making him wince.

'K-Kate . . .' he muttered, gasping as it hurt him to say even a simple word.

Dammit, I think the shrimp broke a rib, Sawyer thought as he took in slow breaths. Make that two.

'Kate . . .' he tried again.

This is useless. She's never gonna hear me, even if she is close, he thought.

There was a few minutes of silence. Then someone called out his name, someone that sounded very much like Kate.

Think you've been proven wrong, jackass, the same voice that had shouted iKate commented inside Sawyer's head.

'Kate,' Sawyer said, licking his lips and looking around again as much as his head would let him.

'I'm . . . I'm behind you,' Kate said.

'You . . . okay?' Sawyer asked.

'I-I think so. That, that guy . . . I thought it was over. Your cry woke me up though. Where . . . where are we?' Kate asked.

'Can't tell . . .' Sawyer said. 'Can you . . . move . . .?'

'Not yet, but I think I can untie myself. Hold on . . .' Kate said.

Sawyer heard her moving around. She let out a few frustrated curses and then untied herself. A few minutes later she was slowly making her way over to him. He looked up and saw she was still wearing his jacket, which was now torn in several places. She looked cute in it though, he noted. He couldn't ponder more on the subject though, as he saw her clutching her side. There was also a big, swollen knot on her head that was already a dark bluish-purple.

'Oh my . . . God . . .' she said, taking in his appearance.

'It that bad . . . sweetheart?' he asked, trying to chuckle, but started coughing instead.

'You're covered in blood,' she said.

'Ya don't say,' he said, looking up at her as his coughing subsided.

He was surprised to see the hint of worry in her eyes and voice. Since when did she start caring for him? He knew she had tried to pity him once, but he never thought she had cared about him before.

'You untie me . . . freckles?' he asked.

'Yeah,' she said, hurriedly walking back behind him.

He felt her tugging at the vine that bound him. She gently tugged this way and that, trying to loosen the knot. He grunted in pain as she tugged a bit too hard on his hurt arm. She surprised him by quickly saying "Sorry" and sounding like she actually meant it. She started tugging again and after a few more minutes, she had the knot loosen more. He felt her trying to untie it for another minute or two. Then she finally had it undone. She took hold of his right arm and slowly helped him move it back in front of him. His arm had gone stiff from being behind his back for so long. He cried out as his muscles tightened painfully into a big cramp.

'Can I help?' Kate asked, kneeling down beside him, wincing in her own pain.

'N-No . . . no . . .' he said, clutching his hurt arm with his good one.

If I could just get my damn arm to stop cramping and my meatballin' head to stop pounding, then we might be in business, he thought as he clamped his eyes shut, trying to will his head to at least stop hurting. The longer his arm cramped though, the harder his head throbbed in protest. After a few minutes of painful groans, his arm seemed to be finally un-cramping. The pain seemed to be lessening ever so slowly. He finally lessened the grip on his arm a few minutes later and finally let go of it completely.

Kate had remained silent the whole time Sawyer had had his fit of pain. Now she moved closer, looking at Sawyer's arm to make sure his temporary 'bandage' was still there. It was, although now it was stained dark red instead of being its original dark blue color.

'Are you okay?' Kate asked, not wanting to examine his head, but knowing she had to.

'Just peachy . . .' Sawyer replied, trying to sound sarcastic, but his voice only wavered instead.

'You lost a good amount before, but now you have multiple wounds,' Kate said, putting her hand on his unshaven chin, making him move his head to the right.

'Who made you the doctor?' Sawyer asked, taking in ragged breaths and looked down towards the ground.

'I did. Now, hold still,' Kate said.

He blinked several times and gritted his teeth in pain as her fingers lightly touched his face by his left eye. She tried moving her fingers up, to determine exactly where he had been hit. Everything was swollen and there was so much blood that she couldn't tell. This was much worse than the head wound Sayid had given him when he had tried to torture Sawyer. She tried touching one spot, but he quickly grabbed her hand as he let out a groan. He pulled her hand a few inches away from his face.

'Too sore . . . for comfort . . . s-sweetheart,' he said, looking up at her and trying to smile.

'We need to find someone soon. You lost a lot of blood and if that guy's planning on coming back-' Kate began.

'What about you?' Sawyer asked, letting go of her hand and moving his towards her face.

He lightly touched her cheek with his finger tips. It was her turn now to wince in pain and grasp his hand.

'You're the one that's worse off,' Kate said.

'I'm fine here . . . Doctor Sweetheart,' Sawyer said, smiling a weak, lop-sided smile.

Kate felt a smile tugging at her lips and couldn't suppress it. She loosened her grip on his hand until they were palm to palm. She linked her fingers with his. She smiled again as she saw the surprise look in his eyes. He looked at their hands and then back up at her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came. He settled for a content sigh. Pain replaced the surprise lookin his eyes though as another tremor of throbs pounded his head. He closed his eyes and opened them a few seconds later as the throbs receded to dull aches. It melted her hear to see him like this. His left eye had almost closed up on him due to the big, bloody knot on his head. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, having feelings for him and letting them partly show. He was a self-centered jerk. A jackass too caught up in himself. He wasn't what she needed, but that made her want him even more. All the things he said to her made her so mad at times . . . and yet, he was the first to break her defenses around her heart so quickly. She knew he was dangerous, hell, he had been a con-man after all. But she had seen a glimpse of another side to him, his true side. If she could only help him see that side of himself . . . Help him keep that side before his cold shell known as Sawyer came back. She knew she might be fighting a losing battle and knew her heart would probably be broken, but she didn't care. She wanted to at least try.

'We really need to move somewhere else,' Kate said, breaking the silence and eye contact between them.

'Babe, I think . . . my movin' days . . . are over,' Sawyer said, still looking at her.

'Well then, I'll just have to help you,' Kate said, un-linking her hand from his.

'This'll be something . . . worth seeing,' he scoffed.

'Come on, then,' Kate said, standing up slowly.

Kate reached out a hand towards him. He looked at her hand and then back up at her.

'You're serious,' he said.

'Why wouldn't I be?' Kate asked, waggling her hand in front of his face.

He still looked at her, a bemused smile appearing on his battered face. He finally reached out his left hand and grabbed her hand.

'Hold on,' he said as he moved his legs and tried to stand up.

Kate had planted her feet firm in the ground but he still managed to almost drag her all the way back down to the ground. His head started swimming uncontrollably as he stood half way up and great big black spots filled his vision. His legs started to buckle again.

'Lean on the tree!' Kate said, grabbing his left forearm with her right.

Sawyer backed up into the tree and leaned on it, willing himself not to pass out. Everything kept spinning and he closed his eyes. After a few minutes he opened them again. His head was still slightly swimming, but everything was thankfully still and certainly not spinning upside down.

'C'mon, Sawyer. Got your footing? We have to go. I thought I heard something,' Kate said, looking behind Sawyer and then back at him.

'L-leave me. I'll . . . slow you down . . .' he panted.

'I'm not leaving you,' Kate said stubbornly, holding onto his arm firmly.

Some branches farther behind Sawyer snapped. Kate looked up quickly, trying to see anyone. She couldn't.

'C'mon, now! I'll drag your ass if I have to,' Kate said.

'Kate . . . go . . .' Sawyer said, trying to push her hand off of him. 'It's the least . . . I deserve . . .'

'Stop that. You can change, I know you can. Now come on. I'll make a deal with you. If you get off that tree and we get out of here, I'll do almost anything for you,' Kate said, knowing what his reply would probably be.

'Even . . . a kiss?' Sawyer asked, a lop-sided grin appearing on his face.

Kate should have been a psychic. She looked at him and he only stared back at her, that stupid grin on his face.

'Even a kiss,' she said, holding his gaze.


	7. Chapter Seven

Author's Note: Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews! I'm still getting new readers! I'm just glad everyone's enjoying it. I hate to say it, but, alas, we're getting down to the final chapter. /hears everyone gasps and runs for it/

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**Chapter Seven**

'Hot damn. What are we . . . waiting for . . . then?' Sawyer asked, still smiling.

'Oh, just move!' Kate said, pulling his arm to make him get up.

She heard another branch snap and a bush shudder as Sawyer got up drunkenly. He swayed for a moment, putting most of his body weight on her. She held him up though, grunting in the effort. He finally stood up as steadily as he could.

'Just put your arm around my shoulders and take small steps,' Kate said.

Sawyer put his left arm around her shoulders and gripped them tight. The dizziness returned and so did the big black dots. He fought to stay conscious as Kate made them walk faster. Kate could still hear someone behind them. She knew she couldn't push Sawyer too far or he would pass out on her. She definitely knew she couldn't carry his dead weight.

'Come on, little faster,' she muttered, already breaking out into a sweat.

At that moment she heard someone shout out behind her. She turned her head back and saw the same guy as the night before. He was weaving his way around the trees and hollering at them.

'Shit!' she cursed.

'Just . . . let me . . . go,' Sawyer said, trying to turn his head back too.

'No. You're making it back it back to the beach even if I have to carry you,' Kate said, making Sawyer walk faster.

'I'd like that . . . 'bout now . . .' he said, trying to grin in his pain.

'Just keep moving. Here, let's go down that hill,' Kate said, indicating the one that was sloping down in front of them.

Their pursuer had started running after them. Kate knew that if they didn't go faster, then he would catch up with them in no time. As they went down the hill, Kate made them break into a lop-sided jog. She looked back and saw that the guy hadn't started running down the hill yet. She looked around and saw a familiar looking thicket of vines and bamboo mixed in with trees. It was the same place she had ran to on that day that she, Jack, and Charlie had found the cockpit. Right next to all the vines and trees was this huge tree. They were facing the back end of it. Maybe it wasn't the perfect place to hide, but it sounded like a great one at the moment. She broke out into a run, dragging Sawyer with her. She just hoped they ran quick enough before the guy came over the top and saw them. They reach the front end of it and saw that there was a hollow-hole in it. It was better than she expected.

'H-Here, get inside . . .' Kate huffed, coming to a halt in front of the tree.

Sawyer gingerly tried to duck inside. Kate looked around, knowing they had mere seconds before they were sighted.

'Sorry, Sawyer,' Kate said as she pushed him in.

He cursed out in surprise and grabbed her arm, pulling her with him. He landed hard on the ground and Kate felt the air go out of him as she landed hard on top of him. He started to cry out but she hurried and covered his mouth with her hand, trying to muffle his cries. She looked up, trying to see if they were truly hidden. As long as the guy didn't come in the way they had, he wouldn't be able to spot them, or so she hoped. She looked back down at Sawyer and saw that he was looking at her, one eye half-closed, a pained look in his other eye as his chest heaved in pain.

'I'm-I'm sorry. I would get off . . . but he might hear,' Kate whispered, her lips barely moving.

Sawyer's look of pain changed to that of amusement, but he slightly nodded his head as if he understood.

Kate looked up again, trying to see if she could hear the guy coming. A few seconds later she could hear footsteps. There were voices, making her think there were two of them. That couldn't be possible though, unless there were more psychos from their group. She heard them start to walk closer and she froze, trying not to breath. Sawyer's breathing had slowed and she looked down at him again, a strand of her hair falling across her cheek. He wasn't looking at her anymore. Now his eyes darted to where the footsteps were coming from, off to their left.

'Did you hear that?' the first guy asked.

'Yeah, movement over there. I think someone's coming,' the second said.

'Let's go then. If it's one of them from the beach then we'll look suspicious,' the first said.

They then turned around on the spot and headed back the way they came. Kate still held her breath for another minute, not able to believe their luck. She then let it out with a whoosh sound.

'That was . . . close,' Sawyer muttered.

'Yeah, it was. I wonder what's coming though,' Kate said. 'Come on, we've got to get you up.'

'But I'm fine here, sweetheart,' Sawyer said, his left hand slowly creeping up to her side.

Kate looked back down to him. He lifted his head, trying to pull her into a kiss.

'Not now,' she warned as she kneed his side, gently enough not to cause him too much pain.

Sawyer inhaled sharply and his hand left her side. He then chuckled weakly at her.

Kate got off of him and winced as her side flared up again and her head started hurting. She had all but forgotten about her own injuries in trying to get Sawyer to the tree. She touched the side of her head where she had been hit and pulled her hand back quickly as more pain went through her head. She bent down and reached a hand out to Sawyer. She thought he had a look of concern on his face, but then it was gone and she thought she had only imagined it. He reached up and took her hand, trying not to drag her down. Kate grabbed onto the side of the tree for support. Sawyer swayed a bit, but got his footing. Kate took his hand with both of hers and started backing out of the tree. Kate heard the grass rustle as someone moved around. She got Sawyer out of the tree and stopped, turning around to see who it was. She saw something white moving low to the ground. Kate sighed in relief and let out a laugh.

'What?' Sawyer asked, panting slightly.

'It's Vincent,' Kate said.

'Who?' Sawyer asked, looking over her head to the ground.

'Vincent, the dog,' Kate said.

Vincent made his way out of the thick jungle growth and padded towards them. His ears pricked up as he saw them and he barked, wagging his tail.

'This is what . . . scared them off?' Sawyer asked, looking in disbelief at the dog.

'Good boy, Vincent,' Kate said as she bent down slightly and patted Vincent on the head.

Vincent had his mouth open, panting, but he looked like he was laughing. He licked Kate's hand and started barking again. A few seconds later they heard someone else making their way through the jungle. Vincent barked again, looking in the direction of the noise.

'Great . . .' Sawyer muttered as he shifted his grip on Kate's shoulder.

Kate looked in the direction of the noise, trying to see who it was. Finally she made out a fairly tall figure fighting its way through the brush. She caught a glimpse of a yellow shirt and khaki pants. Then she saw that the figure was bald-headed.

'It's Locke,' Kate said, sighing in relief again.

Sawyer's head, meanwhile, had taken a turn for the worse. It had begun to spin again and it felt like it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He supposed that all the blood lost had finally caught up with him. He had made it this far, seemed like he would never get another damn kiss from Kate again. He swayed a bit, gripping Kate's shoulder harder. She turned around to look at him. His eyes went in and out of focus and then rolled in the back of his head. His body went limp and she struggled to hold him up as he fell to the ground.


	8. Chapter Eight

Author's Note: Wow guys, thanks for the reviews. I've been trying to put this chapter off for a while because it's . . . well . . . the last chapter. /hears gasps/ Yes, I know. But this is the final chapter for this story and I'm proud to say that this is the first story I've completed and I've started on quite a number. What's ironic about it is it's the shortest story I've worked on. I just started writing this about two months ago and here I am already through when I've been working on my X3 story ever since X2 came out in theaters and my LOTR story ever since 7th grade (I'm a 10th grader this year). So yeah . . . You've all been really really awesome and I've thoroughly enjoyed your reviews. If ya wanna chat or anything about Lost or whether cows fly over the moon (lol) then feel free to email me at 

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**Chapter Eight**

When Sawyer woke, there was a slight buzzing in his head. It felt like one of the worst hangovers he ever had, and he had had quite a few. He kept his eyes closed, enjoying the soothing eternal darkness of his mind. The relaxing coolness of sleep was calling him back into her embrace. He was about to submit to the call when a sharp pain in his arm made him abandon the darkness. He cried out in pain and opened his eyes.

'Stay still. I'm changing the bandage,' Jack's voice echoed in his head as his eyes went in and out of focus and his head started spinning.

Jack looked up as he threw the old bandage down.

'Sawyer,' he said, trying to give Sawyer something to focus on.

Sawyer rolled his head in Jack's direction. His eyes came into focus and he tried to say something, but his throat caught and he started coughing instead.

'Relax. You're still weak from the blood loss,' Jack said as he reached for a water bottle.

Sawyer gripped it weakly with his left hand and started drinking. The water burned his throat as he drank too quickly. He drank half of the water before he brought the bottle away from his lips. Jack took the bottle and put it back on the airplane tray beside him. He then went back to putting the new bandage on Sawyer's arm. Sawyer winced as the peroxide came into contact with his newly stitched wound. He felt some kind of tape above his left eye and knew there had to be a bandage above it. He brought his left hand down on his stomach. He wasn't wearing a shirt and he felt something wrapped around his sides. It still hurt to breathe, but not as bad as before. He looked to his right and watched as Jack wrapped the bandage around his arm. Sawyer could see the tent flapping in a slight breeze behind Jack and knew he was back in his tent again, lying down on his makeshift bed. The same place he had woken up from after Sayid had stabbed him. He winced in pain as Jack tightened the bandage before continuing to wrap it. Sawyer then thought of someone.

'K-Kate . . .?' Sawyer croaked, his voice hoarse.

'She just left a few minutes ago. You must have told her some mighty fine words,' Jack said, finishing putting the bandage on.

Sawyer looked at him questionably.

'She's stayed in here for two whole days, barely leaving your side. I've forced her to eat and drink what little she has and finally made her stretch her legs just now,' Jack continued, looking at Sawyer as if he couldn't believe anyone would care for him like that.

Sawyer returned his gaze and saw something flicker in Jack's eyes. He saw a strange gleam that only appeared for a few seconds and then disappeared. Sawyer had seen it though, and he recognized that look. It was a look of jealously.

_So, Doctor Perfect's got his feathers ruffled 'cause she was worried 'bout me,_ Sawyer thought as he smiled.

'We got a . . . a connection . . . doc,' Sawyer said.

'Well, whatever you got, I don't understand it,' Jack said shortly.

'Jealous . . .?' Sawyer couldn't help but ask.

'No, I'm not jealous. I just . . . It's not my business what type of men she likes,' Jack said, not meeting Sawyer's eyes.

'You're jealous,' Sawyer confirmed, a smile still plastered on his face.

Jack looked at him, wishing he could wipe that annoying smile off of Sawyer's face.

'I'm going back to the caves to check on Claire,' he finally said, getting up to leave. 'There's a bottle of aspirin on the tray.'

'So long . . . doc . . .' Sawyer managed.

Jack turned back to look at Sawyer and looked like he was going to say something else. He only shook his head though and walked out of the tent.

Sawyer continued to smile. He looked around and noticed that an airplane seat had been moved right beside him. His jacket lay on the seat. He saw it had some dark stains here and there that looked like his blood. He wondered where Kate was and tried to get up. All his injuries protested against him and he put his head back down. He closed his eyes as everything started spinning and throbbing again.

_Maybe tomorrow . . ._ he managed to think.

He slowly opened his eyes again and looked around, trying to see where the tray was. It was right beside his head, but on his right.

_Probably left the bottle on my bad side on purpose,_ he thought.

He hurried and tried to grab the bottle with his other hand as quickly as he could without lying on his hurt arm too much. He grabbed the bottle, but not without another cry of pain. He put the bottle in his right arm and unscrewed the top off with his left hand. He got two capsules out and chewed them, grimacing against the sour taste in his mouth as he swallowed them dry. He then put the cap back on the bottle and threw it with his good arm. He didn't know where it landed and he could care less. He closed his eyes against the dulling aches and pains and tried to go back to sleep.

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When Sawyer woke up again, it was near sunset. He opened his eyes and noticed it didn't feel like a huge hangover anymore. He looked around and saw Kate's retreating form as she left the tent. He tried to sit up and he finally managed to this time. His ribs still protested, but they didn't pain him enough to stop him from moving around. His head started spinning slightly, so he sat there and waited for it to stop. It did so in a few minutes and he tried to stand up. His head started spinning again, but he gripped his makeshift bed and the dizziness stopped shortly. He then took a few steps, grimacing from the pain in his side. It was bearable though, so he continued walking, holding onto his makeshift bed until he could walk on his own. He slowly limped out of the tent, looking for Kate. He saw her down on the beach, watching the waves as the sun was slowly setting. He made his way towards her. Halfway there, she heard him coming and looked behind her.

'Sawyer, you shouldn't be up,' she said, starting to walk to him.

'I'm fine . . .' he said as she met up with him and he gripped her arm to steady himself as his side flared up.

'What are you doing down here?' she asked.

'Wanted to see you . . .' he said, smiling down at her.

'You could have waited until I came back,' she said.

'Yeah. You gonna tell me I'm lucky to be alive?' Sawyer asked.

'You _are_ lucky to be alive. You've been out for almost four days,' Kate said, trying to notice his injuries instead of his muscular shoulders and how strong his grip was on her arm.

Sawyer smiled as he saw her eyes wonder. 'Shouldn't worry 'bout me, sweetheart,' he said, letting go of her arm and putting his hand up to her cheek to move a strand of her hair out of her eyes. He noticed that the bump on her head had gone, but it was still bruised.

'Would it kill you if I did?' she asked.

'Might kill Jacko,' Sawyer said, smiling at her and cupping her cheek with his hand.

Kate laughed. 'Yeah, well, Jack can get over it,' she said, surprising him.

He looked at her and then looked down at her lips.

'So, uh . . . how 'bout that kiss?' he asked, looking back up at her.

She looked at him and remembered the first time he had asked her that. It had been right after he had made her read his letter out loud. Things had been very different then than they were now.

'How about it?' she asked, surprising him more.

He looked at her for a few seconds, wondering if this was real. Then he stepped forward, closing the gap between them until he was a few inches away from her. She didn't step back, but remained where she was, feeling the warmth of his hand on her cheek. He closed the last few inches as he bent his head down. Their lips were inches apart. Kate stared into his eyes and then to his busted lower lip before he lunged at her, his lips crashing into hers. She closed her eyes and didn't hold back this time as he dropped his hand from her cheek and placed it on her waist, pulling her closer to him. She gripped his shoulders as their tongues met. A voice in the back of her mind scolded her, telling her she shouldn't be doing this. Sawyer would probably never be a completely changed person, if he even changed at all. She knew she was probably asking for a broken heart down the road and a relationship that would never work out. She pushed that voice out of her head completely though as Sawyer slid his hand under her shirt and sent shivers down her spine. She found that, as their tongues locked together in their heated kiss, she could care less about the voice right now.

THE END


End file.
